The Olympic Museum

Lausanne, Switzerland

Brief/Challenges

Originally built in 1992, the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland recently underwent a 23 month, CHF 55 million ($61 million) renovation. Facing Lake Geneva, the museum now features three permanent exhibition spaces, education rooms, temporary exhibition areas, a shop, a redesigned garden and a terraced cafe on the top floor overlooking the lake. The new presentation aims to reflect the "diversity and richness of the Olympics," and the relationship between the Games and society as a whole, according to Frédérique Jamolli, the museum's Head of International Cultural Development.

The museum is organized into three themes, the first of which is ‘The World’, which examines the influence of the Olympics. Visitors are taken back to the origins of the Games in ancient Greece, and the founding of the modern Olympics by French aristocrat Baron Pierre de Coubertin in 1894.

The second theme, The Games, focuses on sporting achievements at the summer and winter Olympics through more than 1,000 video clips available to view alongside clothing and equipment used by athletes.

The final theme concerns the Olympic spirit, featuring exhibits about the health and nutrition of athletes, their physical and mental challenges, anti-doping and the principle of fair play.

The permanent exhibitions are concluded with a room displaying medals from every modern summer Games dating back to the first in Athens in 1896.

Commission

The new museum now features 1,500 items across 3,000 square meters of permanent exhibition space. Paragon Creative was commissioned as principle contractor for the redevelopment and complete fit our of the museum which involved just about every department within Paragon including Design Development, Interactive engineering, Model making, Scenic/Theming & Props, Metalwork, Joinery & Solid Surfaces as well as graphics from Paragon’s graphic design department Paragon Communications.

The Paragon team worked around the clock both at our workshops in York and on site in Lausanne to ensure the museum was ready for opening on December 21st 2013. We are delighted to say that the project was completed to both schedule and budget.

Comments/Quotes

Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said:

“The Olympic world is at the same time traditional and ultramodern, this museum manages to convey that combination in an exciting and innovative way, and thereby reach young and old alike,”

“If there is one place outside the Olympic Games where the Olympic spirit can be felt to the same degree, it is this entirely redesigned museum, here.”

Our Client: The International Olympic Committee (IOC)

Designed by: Mather & Co. & Paragon Creative

Services used on this project

We are social

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